Topless sunbathers ‘make me want to call police,’ says skin doctor

Sunbathers flocked to Brighton beach on Monday as the weather hotted up

Credit: Stephen Lock/i-Images

A skin expert has said people sunbathing topless makes him “want to call the police”,as the UK recorded the hottest day of the year so far on Monday.

The Met Office said the hottest temperature recorded on Monday was 28.3C in Wisley,Surrey,with further warmer weather and likely heatwaves forecast for parts of the UK this week.

Temperatures could reach 32C (90F) in parts of the country by Wednesday,prompting the UK Health Security Agency to issue a yellow alert for risks to vulnerable people.

Dr Kazeem Salako,a dermatologist at Northampton General Hospital,told the BBC he feared for people who spend time in the heat without sunscreen.

He jokingly said that,when he sees people stripping off, “I feel like calling the police or something” and compared sunbathing without protection to suicide.

A heatwave is defined by three or more days of very hot temperatures,ranging from 28C in London to 25C in other parts of the country.

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Read moreThe British Red Cross has warned people to avoid activities in the middle of the day,and look out for signs of heatstroke.“Heatwaves are becoming more frequent and getting worse because of climate change,and that makes the need to recognise the risks all the more important as we are out enjoying the warmer weather this summer,” William Spencer,the climate and first aid product manager at the British Red Cross,said.“High temperatures make it harder for the body to cool itself,and we all need to take care to manage the health risks of heat.”Retailers and hospitality businesses have welcomed the warmer weather after a damp May and a chilly start to June.Emma McClarkin,the chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association,said its members expected to sell more beer.“The last period of sustained warm and sunny weather in September last year saw average increased sales of almost 20 per cent,and this is crucial for both brewers and pubs after the more challenging winter months and recent wet weather,” she added.However,the hot,dry spell is only expected to continue uninterrupted until Wednesday,when heavy showers,thunderstorms and persistent rain could return in parts of the country.